A brand for $50? Great! Except for the weak link… me.

I was really excited to have a little play with the latest automation tool for business branding – Tailor.

It’s not a completely new idea; Justin Champney has been running Buildabrand for quite some time. But each new execution sees improvements in the process, and nobody can deny that one of the most fun (and necessary) parts of starting and marketing a new business is engaging in a bit of branding.

So I had a play with Tailor…

…and it asked me some questions. Nothing too demanding. No more than five minutes effort.

And because we do words for a living, I didn’t hold back.

I added some brand values (Authoritative, credible, capable, trustworthy, businesslike, go the extra mile) and explained when my business was founded. Then we went through some “pick the one you like” options.

Soon, we got to see some branding ideas. And I hated them all. Not just disliked; I viscerally hated them.

Why? Well, it might be because this is a Beta service at the moment, not all the tools are switched on, and it’s early days yet.

But I think the problem is me. I answered those questions as best I can. But I’m not a designer, and when I vaguely picked the visuals that looked best to me, I was doing so with all the prejudices of someone with no design skills and no ability to discern the essential elements of my own brand and communicate them effectively.